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0. E. BROWN. MEANS FOR REVERSING STEAM VALVES.

No. 439,472. Patented Oct. 28, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. BROVN, OF ROME, NElV YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JAMES STEVENS, OF SAME PLACE.

M EANS FOR REVERSING STEAM-VALVES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 439,472, dated October 28, 1890.

Application filed June 12, 1890. Serial No.355,2l3. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Rome, in the county of Oneida and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Reversing Steam-Valves; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in means for reversing steam-valves and other similar engines.

The invention consists in the novel features of construction and new combinations of parts hereinafter fully described, and specifically defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the reversing-gear of a steamengine constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an end elevation. Fig. a represents detail views of the disk and crank for operating the eccentric.

In the said drawings, the reference-numeral 1 designates the bed -plate of the engine, and 2 the main shaft, mounted in journals or pillow-block 3, secured to said bed-plate. The shaft 2 is connected with the piston (not shown) in the ordinary manner, so as to be revolved thereby in its reciprocation. Secured to one end of said shaft is a disk 4., having a crank pin 5, with which is connected a crank or link 6, loosely mounted on the cocentric shaft 7, which also has securely fixed to it a disk 8, having the projecting pins or studs 9 and 10 secured thereto near the periphery and engaging with the crank (i to actuate the eccentric, as will hereinafter appear. This eccentric shaft worksin the journals 11 on the bed plate and carries at its outer end the eccentric 12, of any ordinary or suitable construction, and also carrying a disk 13, having a series of holes 14 on its peripheryto receive a reversing-bar, by which the engine can be reversed when standing. Secured to the eccentric is the valve-rod 15, connected with the valve by any suitable connections. At the end of the bed-plate 1 are the sliding or movable pillow-blocks 16, adapted to have a slight horizontal play toward and from the main shaft, and mounted and revolving therein is a shaft 17, having securely fixed thereto disks 18 and 19, which,by means of the forked lever 20 embracing shaft 17, can be thrown into and out of contact, respectively, with disks 4. and 8. The lever 20 has a cross-arm 21, swiveled in lugs or bearings 22, depending from the under side of the bedplate, and is provided with a handle 23, by which it may be oscillated to shift the shaft 17. The crank 6 is provided with a slot 24 in the crank-pin end to compensate for shafts being out of level, and with a joint at 25 to compensate for the shafts being out of line, and also has interposed between it and disk 8 a leather friction-washer 26.

The operation is as follows: hen the engine is started by means of reversing-bar and disk 13, motion will be imparted to the crank 6 from the piston through the medium of main shaft, disk 4, and crank-pin 5. Before the crank has made one-fourth of a revolution it will strike one of the projecting pins 9 or 10, according to the direction in which the reversing-bar is moved. This will cause the eccentric to be actuated to work the valve through the valve-rod and connections. When it is desired to reverse the engine, the disks 18 and 19 are thrown int-0 contact with disks 4 and 8 by means of the lever 20, causing the speed of disk 8 to be accelerated or increased, so as to run faster or in advance of the main shaft, correspondingly increasing the speed of the eccentric, which will shift the valve. The steam will then be on the opposite side of the piston, reversing the direction of rotation of the main shaft 2 and crank 6. The crank 6 will now strike against the other pin or stud on the disk 8, which will have come in contact therewith by the increase in speed of said disk, and changing the direction of rotation of the eccentric shaft connected therewith.

It will be understood that the increase of speed of disk 8 is caused by the differential construction of disks 18 and 19.

From the above it will be seen that by the use of my invention the engine can be very quickly reversed without shutting off steam, and that it possesses other advantages, which will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which it pertains, and which need not be enumerated here.

, Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a reversing mechanism for steam-engines, the combination, with a valve and connections, of an eccentric mounted upon a shaft provided with a disk having projecting pins or studs, a crank loosely mounted on said eccentric shaft and adapted to engage with said pins or studs, means, substantially as described, for actuating said crank by the revolution of the main shaft, and means, substantially as described, for increasing the speed of the said disk and eccentric for the purpose of shifting the valve, substantially as specified.

2. In a reversing-gear for steam-engines,

the combination, with a valve and connections, of the eccentric 12, shaft 7, disk 8, having pins or studs 9 and 10, the crank 6, loosely mounted on the shaft 7, the disk connected with said crank by crank-pin J, the disk 4, secured to and revolving with main shaft 2, the differential disks 18 and 19, mounted on the sliding shaft 17, and the lever 20, for act uating said shaft, substantially as described.

3. In a reversing mechanism for steam-engines, the combination, with the main shaft 1, of eccentric 12, shaft '7, disk 8, having pins or studs 9 and 10, and the crank (5, having a slot 24 and joint 25, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto affixed my signature 40 in presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES E. BROWN. Witnesses:

J. S. BAKER,- CLARK W. DRAPER. 

